The Hogtown Squealers

Brevard’s Hogtown Squealers have delighted audiences and dancers for more than twenty years. Currently the band consists of Tom Anderson (fiddle, vocals), Susan Brown (fiddle), Matt Gardner (bass), John von Stein (accordion, vocals), Keith Ward (guitar), and Gary Wells (banjolyn, vocals).

Their music is oldtime in its foundation, but they explore the edges of oldtime traditions and incorporate other genres—a honky-tonk, ragtime, and “obscure musical miscellany.” In their eclectic approach to oldtime music, they share much of their musical attitude with the early incarnations of the Red Clay Ramblers and the Double Decker String Band. Drawing primarily from their own creative inclinations, though, and from the early greats of recorded Southern stringband music, they cite as influences Uncle Dave Macon, Gid Tanner, and North Carolinian Charlie Poole. In the same set as a rollicking version of Uncle Dave’s “Old Plank Road” and the Carter Family’s “Dixie Darling” might be a Squealerized version of “Thunder Road,” the Robert-Mitchum-penned theme song from the movie of the same name about moonshine bootleggers.

The Hogtown Squealers recorded an album, Embrace the Pig, in 2002. They are also featured playing “Pig Ankle Rag” on the album, Celebrating the 75th Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.

Availability:

The Hogtown Squealers are available to play for festivals, square dances, weddings, parties, and many other events.